


Sentimental value

by Eshnoazot



Series: Avengers prompt ficathon [10]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Jarvis Feels, Protective Pepper Potts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-28
Updated: 2014-02-28
Packaged: 2018-01-14 01:32:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1247743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eshnoazot/pseuds/Eshnoazot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"This is my room."</p>
<p>That made her pause, "Your room?"</p>
<p>"Yes, Miss Potts," Jarvis interrupted, with a curious tone in his voice, "I apologize if my utilization of this space has angered you. I saw a possibility for space and made appropriate adjustments, with the assistance of Dummy, U and Butterfingers."</p>
<p>"You made the changes?" Pepper paused, taking in the sight created by three dysfunctional bots and an AI, "Does Tony know about this?"</p>
<p>"He does not," Jarvis paused, "I cannot ask you to keep a secret from Sir, anymore than I can keep a secret from him, but I ask that you do not volunteer this information, although I understand and respect your judgement if you decide to inform him about these modifications."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sentimental value

_"Miss Potts, may I take a moment of your time?"_  Jarvis quietly called to her, while she was sipping Tea at the breakfast bar. It had taken much too long for her to get used to the AI's consistent presence, but finally the knowledge had swelled into her brain and settled as a fact, much in the same way she accepted that the world was round and the sky was blue. Still, her eyes flicked up towards the ceiling, despite knowing that he wasn't  _IN_  the ceiling.

"Of course, what do you need?"

Jarvis was silent for a moment, "I require your assistance on the common floor."

"Is something wrong?" her smile faltered for a second as her mind conjured the inevitable consequences of  _'no-mans-land'_  in a tower housing two assassins, a Super Soldier, a Norse god _\- however absent-_ Tony Stark and a scientist with anger management issues.

_"There is no problem,"_  Jarvis reassured her, _"Agents Romanov, Barton and Captain Rogers are currently out on SHIELD affairs. Mr Odinson has yet to return from Asgard. _Dr Banner is resting, and Sir is currently in his workshop._ "_

"Very well, what could you possibly need  _my_  help with?" Pepper smiled again in confusion, as she stood and walked to place her now empty cup in the dishwasher, before heading towards the elevator.

"It is not a matter of assistance," Jarvis paused, "It is of a... _personal_  nature."

"Personal?" She couldn't help but ask in surprise, as the elevator opened and allowed her in. The Common room was close to her own floor- since Tony insisted that she have her own place to retreat to when he  _'grew into an unbearable asshole again, Pep',_ despite the fact that she'd somehow taken over his Malibu home, as well as actually owning properties of her own, considering her nice CEO salary.

Jarvis was silent again, until she stepped into the common area. The area, all filled with battered comfy couches in a variety of prints, with blankets and quilts thrown over the backs and arms of the chairs, and eclectic pillows shoved onto available surfaces. The wooden coffee table already featured graffiti'd scientific equations and plans, and carvings. Unlike the rest of the tower, all decorated to be suave and modern, with expensive and refined tastes; the common floor was a conglomeration of several tastes that radiated  _'somewhat untested but new family'_.

"Miss Potts, if I may call your attention to the package on the breakfast bar located in the galley kitchen."

Frowning she made her way towards the bar, and picked up the slim package. The package was clearly marked for  _Jarvis_ , which made her lip quirk momentarily at the oddity that her life had become.

"I ask that you now proceed towards the storage closet to the left of the galley kitchen."

Bemusement followed her footsteps towards the storage closet and watched as the door slid open.  _Automated,_  she reminded herself, before wondering why this was the door on the floor that had automated doors. For a  _storage closet_. Frowning she wondered if she had to talk to Tony again about his rampant problems with technology and laziness.

The inside of the closet was much roomier and spacious than she first imagined. It took her a moment, as she walked in and glanced around at the space that clearly wasn't intended for storage and felt her eyebrows lift at the fact that she'd seen the blueprints for Stark tower, and this  _hadn't been on the plans she'd seen_.

Just as she swallowed down her suspicion and anger at the secrets someone had clearly kept from her, she walked forward and noticed the railing. The railing, which clearly were there to stop people from falling down onto what appeared to be multiple layers connected by elevators.

This corner of the Tower clearly hadn't seen much traffic. It wasn't dust, or cobwebs that suggested it, but rather a general feeling in the air that the room was  _lifeless_. Pepper frowned at the junk cluttering the room, but walked through, trying to categories the sheer oddity of the things that filled the space. Proto-types she'd never seen, books, papers, clippings from magazines and newspapers, and  _things,_ things that seemingly held no rhyme or reason for being in here. It was no surprise that Tony was a hoarder; he certainty wasn't nostalgic, but things still collected around him.

"Jarvis, what is this?" Her lips narrowed, as she took in the layers upon layers of junk. The room was constructed to take up as little space as possible, on multiple floors. Something with a design that screamed  _'this is a secret'_.

_"This is my room."_

That made her pause, "Your  _room_?"

" _Yes, Miss Potts,_ " Jarvis interrupted, with a curious tone in his voice,  _"I_ _apologize if my utilization of this space has angered you. I saw a possibility for space and made appropriate adjustments, with the assistance of Dummy, U and Butterfingers."_

"I'm not angry Jarvis. Just surprised," Pepper paused, taking in the sight created by three dysfunctional bots and an AI, "You made the changes? Does Tony know about this?"

_"He does not,"_  Jarvis paused,  _"I cannot ask you to keep a secret from Sir, anymore than I can keep a secret from him, but I ask that you do not volunteer this information, although I understand and respect your judgement if you decide to inform him about these modifications."_

Pepper pursed her lips, "What are you using this space for?"

_"Myself."_  

Pepper's confused frown deepened, before she walked around the room to read the clippings on the wall; clippings and certificates of Tony reaching back to his teenaged years, pictures, magazine clippings. Slowly the wall of Tony blended into newer copies of Bruce's thesis, Steve's artwork, lone arrows from Clint, Pictures of Thor and starmaps, Natasha's SHIELD profile. The original blueprints for Tony's bots. Magazine covers of herself, her awards and stats.

A Picture of Tony and herself, looking over the plans for Avenger's tower.

"What is all of this?" She breathed out, noting 'lost' shirts from a variety of Avengers and copies of books, blueprints-

_"I have noted that people accumulate objects of sentimental value in their rooms, as a way of reminding themselves of memories,"_  The AI paused,  _"You will all die. _Unlike humans, I am effectively unhindered by the passage of time._ "_

"I see," Pepper walked forward again, running her eyes over the collection with a smile, "You want to remember."

_"I cannot be assured that the passage of time with leave my memory banks in sufficient condition,"_  Jarvis responded,  _"Sir remarked that my capabilities could allow me to dominate the world, if I was so inclined. Although I have no interest in such an endeavor, I hypothesized that a physical reminder of those who have contributed towards my programming, and a reminder of the fragility of the physical world, would be an acceptable deterrent from only distasteful ventures taken place after you have departed."_

Pepper paused, taking in the words from Jarvis with a fond but sad smile, "What can I help you with?"

_"Please open the package, Miss Potts,"_  Jarvis replied promptly,  _"Dummy, Butterfingers and U are still damaged from the Malibu incident, thus I am unable to physically manipulate my environment. You will find blu-tack located beside Captain Roger's prototype shield."_

The contents of the package, a single photo, slipped out and made a wide smile stretch across her face. Collecting the tack, she glanced across the wall, and found the empty space, where the whirling details of their lives collected.

"Jarvis?" Pepper smiled towards the ceiling as she eyed her handy-work and moved towards the exit, "I won't mention anything to Tony. Let me know if you need anything further."

The AI was silent as she left, glancing over the photo of the Avengers, all battle marred and exhausted, but smiling as they relaxed into chairs and picked at food on their plates.

_"Thank you Miss Potts."_


End file.
